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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · bass · tube · stock · race · fine · can · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. can — a tin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bass — the fish
  11. race — the arms race
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — tied together
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — goods
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. bass — low music
  19. stock — shares
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com